Chapter 64: You protected me for ten years; now it's my turn to protect you

When Ning Jinli was dating Zhao Bin, she told Su Qinglan many good things about him.

Moreover, she had brought him home to eat a few times; he appeared cultured and polite, so Su Qinglan still had a pretty good impression of him.

Zhao Bin blinked slightly, also realizing the other party was Aunt Su.

The Security Team Leader beside him whispered: "Mr. Zhao, are they acquaintances?"

Zhao Bin put on a stern face: "I don't know them."

As a department general manager and the boyfriend of the company's CEO, how could he admit to knowing a cleaning lady who sweeps drains?

Isn't that lowering his status?

If it got out, his colleagues and subordinates would laugh at him.

Besides, not long ago Ning Jinli got him arrested; if it weren't for his wealthy, well-connected CEO girlfriend pulling strings, he'd still be locked up!

Also, for some unknown reason, the girlfriend he had finally coaxed into being his suddenly cut off all contact.

Thinking of these aggravating matters, a fire of anger rose in his heart.

Seeing Zhao Bin deny knowing the cleaner, the Security Team Leader's face darkened further, and he stepped forward to scold: "What are you trying to cozy up for?! Can't you see Mr. Zhao is angry? Apologize quickly!"

Su Qinglan exclaimed in surprise: "Xiao Bin... you don't remember me?"

"Who let you pile garbage at the doorway?" Zhao Bin demanded with a stern face.

Su Qinglan froze, hardly able to believe that the young man who used to politely call her "aunt" now acted this way.

However, she had realized Zhao Bin clearly did not want to be associated with her in front of his subordinates.

"Mr. Zhao..." Su Qinglan said softly, "I didn't pile the garbage at the doorway; I just placed it beside the drain."

Having done countless cleaning jobs, always conscientious, how could she make such a basic mistake?

Anyone with eyes could see that the pile of silt and garbage didn't block the path at all.

The Security Team Leader also knew full well that just now Mr. Zhao had been walking while looking at his phone, and he himself had absentmindedly veered off, leading him to guess the trash pile was there.

But how could such a thing be made Mr. Zhao's responsibility?

"Still talking back?" the Security Team Leader rebuked, "Do you still want to keep your job? You're not even planning to take your wages, are you!"

Then, smiling at Zhao Bin, he said: "Mr. Zhao, calm down; don't stoop to the level of someone who doesn't understand."

Su Qinglan silently sighed in her heart.

Under the eaves, one must bow one's head; she had lived this way for most of her life, and it had become habit.

"Mr. Zhao, I'm sorry," she said, lowering her head in apology.

Seeing Su Qinglan's meek and apologetic demeanor, Zhao Bin felt no less angry at all.

On the contrary, he felt his soiled leather shoes and suit pant legs were even more glaring.

Originally, hearing from the CEO's girlfriend that the company had a new big boss, and moreover a young beautiful woman, he had specially changed into his finest clothes and shoes, meticulously grooming himself from head to toe, hoping to make a good impression on the big boss.

Trying to win her over in the future would surely be better than currently following this thirty-something female CEO, wouldn't it?

Although he hadn't yet seen that beautiful female big boss, his mind had already begun to fantasize about the more affluent life after winning her favor.

As a result, upon arriving at the office building's main entrance, he ran into this aggravating mishap.

Past dissatisfaction and resentment toward Ning Jinli, piled together with his present vexation, made Zhao Bin unable to restrain himself; he raised his hand and slapped, unleashing all his emotions onto Su Qinglan.

Smack!

A crisp sound!

Su Qinglan, caught off guard, was slapped and fell into the drain.

The Security Team Leader was also stunned.

Several nearby cleaners at work heard the commotion and all turned their heads to look this way.

"Sorry is useless!" Zhao Bin shouted angrily, "Do you have any idea how expensive my shoes and clothes are? Even if you sold yourself, you couldn't afford to pay for them!"

Su Qinglan fell, her head spinning, her whole body covered in mud and garbage, and her cheeks swelled visibly.

She didn't even care about her sorry state, struggling to crawl out of the drain, she apologized in a low voice: "Mr. Zhao... sorry... I, I'll wipe you clean..."

Saying this, she took off her gloves and sleeves, bent over, and wanted to use the clean sleeve of her coat to wipe the dirt off Mr. Zhao's shoes.

"Filthy! Don't you dare touch me!" Zhao Bin kicked out directly.

Squarely, it struck Su Qinglan's forehead.

Su Qinglan staggered, fell into a sitting position on her buttocks, and the pain made it impossible for her to get up.

A few cleaners not far away saw this and felt angry, but none dared to approach and invite bad luck at this moment; they could only sigh inwardly.

The Security Team Leader quietly advised Mr. Zhao: "Mr. Zhao, don't waste time here with a cleaner; the big boss could arrive at any moment, and if they saw this situation, it wouldn't be good..."

Zhao Bin frowned, thought it over, and felt it made sense.

So he pulled out his wallet, took a few hundred-yuan bills from his pocket, and threw them onto Su Qinglan's head.

"You can't afford to compensate for the shoes and pants, so I'll let you off. These few hundred bucks count as my compensation for hitting you—enough for a few days' wages? Now get lost!"

Having said that arrogantly, he strode away.

Su Qinglan sat dazed on the ground.

Only after Zhao Bin's silhouette disappeared into the office building's main door did the nearby onlooking cleaners rush over, helping her up with all hands and cleaning the dirt from her hair and clothes.

"Sister Su, there's nothing to be done; he's a department head, so try to let it go and don't make yourself angry."

"We'll accompany you to ask our superiors for leave; you should go see a doctor quickly."

While comforting her, the few people picked up the several hundred yuan scattered on the ground and gently pressed them into her hand.

"I'm not angry..." Su Qinglan said, eyes glistening with tears, forcing a smile, "I've seen this sort of thing many times; thank you."

"You don't need to look after me; don't delay work, or the leaders will fine you. I can manage on my own, thanks..."

Su Qinglan bowed to the several cleaner coworkers, clutching the crumpled few hundred yuan, and limped away.

She did not go to ask the leaders for leave, but instead left the company directly.

Based on her past experience making a living, she knew that as an insignificant low-level worker, offending the higher-ups meant she could not possibly stay any longer.

But it's alright; this was still her first day on the job, so she at least got a few hundred dollars in compensation, not working for nothing.

As for the injuries she suffered, she just needed to rub some medicine on them at home and she'd be fine.

"Ah… I never expected Zhao Bin to be such a person; thank goodness Xiao Li broke up with him…" Su Qinglan muttered to herself, a hint of relief appearing on her face.

Just as she was about to take the bus home.

An ordinary sedan screeched to a halt beside her.

"Su Yi! How did you end up like this?" Ning Jinli flung open the car door and rushed out.

Su Qinglan quickly laughed and said, "Oh… I just fell while working, no big deal. Look, I made a few hundred bucks today—what do you want to eat? I'll take you to buy it."

Ning Jinli's pupils trembled, and her eyes instantly turned red.

In the past, Su Yi earned money to support the family, doing any dirty or tiring work, often squeezing in time to pick through trash, frequently ending up covered in injuries or being bullied.

Every time she returned home, she would say this…

Ning Jinli had once secretly sworn that when she grew up, she would never let Su Yi suffer hardship again.

Now she finally had the ability to do so, yet unexpectedly Su Yi met with another accident.

"Tell me, who hit you?" Ning Jinli gently stroked Su Yi's swollen cheek.

She couldn't bear to blame Su Yi for knowing she no longer needed to toil for money yet still seeking work.

As long as Su Yi is happy, anything goes.

But now Su Yi has been beaten; this score must be settled with the perpetrator!

Su Yi grasped her hand, saying, "Didn't I tell you? I just had an accident myself…"

Ning Jinli's eye sockets grew redder and redder.

Su Yi raised her hand and tweaked Ning Jinli's nose tip, teasing, "Yo yo, you little thing—whenever you saw me hurt before, you'd always burst into tears; now you've really grown up, not crying at all—how wonderful!"

Ning Jinli clenched her teeth, took Su Yi's hand, and headed toward the company's main gate.

Su Yi hurriedly tried to stop her, "Oh no, Xiao Li! I said it's fine!"

"Then I'll call the police." Ning Jinli pulled out her phone.

Su Yi panicked even more, "No no no… this… sigh… I don't want to cause you trouble, child!"

Ning Jinli stared at her steadily, "Then admit to me that you were bullied."

Su Yi lowered her eyes, tears welling at the corners, "Mm, I admit it… but I really am fine…"

"So, shall I accompany you to demand an explanation?" Ning Jinli asked gently.

Su Yi wiped her eyes, "Xiao Li, I know you're now the boss of a big factory, but… this is someone else's turf; I've heard this company is very strong and has powerful connections…"

She didn't want Ning Jinli to seek justice for her, nor to call the police, because she feared bringing unnecessary trouble upon Ning Jinli.

Ning Jinli's career had just begun; she couldn't let an accident happen because of her.

"Child… I have no talent, and I never studied much," Su Yi said, her lips trembling as she choked up, "All I can do now is try not to make you worry about me."

Ning Jinli lowered her head, embraced Su Yi's small shoulders, and said softly, "You protected me for ten years—isn't that a great ability already? Don't be afraid; with me here, it's now my turn to protect you."

"Let me tell you a little secret—I'm already the big boss of this company."

Upon hearing that, Su Qinglan was moved and stunned, her eyes wide open.

While she was still dazed, Ning Jinli took her hand and stepped into the first-floor lobby of Baoyun Hall Company's office building.

"Hey hey hey!" the on-duty guard in the lobby shouted, "Do you have an appointment? If not, register first!"

Ning Jinli's eyes turned cold, "Where is the person in charge of the company?"

The person was stunned by her gaze, hesitated, then blurted, "On the eighth floor, in the CEO's office…"

"Thank you." Ning Jinli pulled Su Yi and strode toward the elevator.

After the two entered the elevator, the on-duty guard finally reacted, hastily pulling out his waist-worn Walkie-Talkie, "Attention! Attention! Unidentified personnel have broken in!"

Upon receiving the message, the Security Team Leader ordered nearby security to intercept the elevator.

Then he asked about the intruders' appearance; immediately confirming that one of the middle-aged women was the janitor who had just been driven out by Zhao Bin.

"Manager Zhao, the other is a young woman in her early twenties—did her family come to cause trouble?" the Security Team Leader asked.

Zhao Bin knew instantly without thinking—the young woman must be Ning Jinli.

He snorted coldly, "Coming to cause trouble? She picked the right place! I'll handle it myself!"

On this side of the elevator.

When it reached the fifth floor, it stopped.

The elevator doors opened, and outside a guard shouted, "Everyone, get out!"

Ning Jinli vaguely felt the voice sounded familiar; she poked her head out and saw a young guard in his twenties.

He hesitated, then said, "Miss Ning?"

"You are…?" Ning Jinli felt uncertain; the voice sounded familiar, his face somewhat recognizable, but she couldn't place him.

"Hehe, Miss Ning, important people forget things—we met once outside Xinghan Central Hospital the last time."

The young guard was very polite; he still had a vivid memory of the scene that night when Ning Jinli violently beat the unfilial son.

More importantly, although he still didn't know Ning Jinli had become the company's big boss, from seeing how deferentially Wu Sanye had treated her last time, he knew she was definitely a major figure, so he dared not be negligent.

"Xinghan Central Hospital…" Ning Jinli thought carefully, "Oh! You're one of the few people Third Uncle summoned back then, right?"

"Yes yes yes, it's me! I'm Zhang; Miss Ning can call me Xiao Zhang." The young guard eagerly extended his hand.

"Hello, Xiao Zhang." Ning Jinli politely shook his hand.

"I never expected Miss Ning to grace us with her presence," Xiao Zhang grinned, "I thought someone was coming to cause trouble."

Ning Jinli said, "I want to talk with your CEO."

Xiao Zhang nodded repeatedly, "Sure, I'll take you there."

Just as he was about to enter the elevator, Zhao Bin and the Security Team Leader, with several other security guards, rushed over.

"Zhao Bin?" Ning Jinli looked surprised.

Immediately, she felt Su Yi's shoulder tremble, and seeing a flash of fear in Su Yi's eyes, she roughly guessed the situation.

"Take them both, find a place to lock them up first. After we finish receiving the big boss, we'll deal with them." Zhao Bin gave a cold smile and directly ordered the Security Team Leader.

The Security Team Leader shouted at Xiao Zhang: "What the hell, you're missing a brain? We already said over the walkie-talkie to stop the person, and you still want to lead them?"

Xiao Zhang's face darkened: "Watch your mouth."

"Huh?" The Security Team Leader widened his eyes: "You're asking for death, you idiot? Can't you see Logistics Department Manager Zhao is here? Don't think you're something just because I once sent you to help Third Uncle with a task! Believe it or not, I'll have you pack up and get out!"

"Suit yourself." Xiao Zhang stepped forward, blocking the security guards who wanted to grab them.

This action made Zhao Bin and the others stare in surprise.

"So you're an executive here?" Ning Jinli stared at Zhao Bin, coldly questioning: "Was it you who hit Su Yi?"

Zhao Bin snapped back, arrogantly saying: "Yeah, a solid slap! I was the one who hit him, so what?"

Ning Jinli said: "You still have a chance to apologize to Su Yi."

"Hahaha!" Zhao Bin laughed: "Apologize to her? Are you brain‑dead?"

The Security Team Leader also laughed, looking at Ning Jinli with an expression of looking at an idiot: "You might as well leave; I can't even bring myself to arrest you."

Zhao Bin's eyes flashed with a sinister sneer: "No way! Do you think this is a market where you can come and go as you please? Kneel and kowtow to me, and I'll let you leave."

"Fine, you no longer have a chance to apologize." Ning Jinli said, then directly ordered Xiao Zhang: "Hit him; if there are any problems, I'll take responsibility."

Xiao Zhang's eyes lit up instantly; he had long disliked Zhao Bin.

This guy only got to be a department manager because the CEO's girlfriend pulled strings for him.

His work ability is mediocre, but he's good at putting on airs, always strutting around with the Security Team Leader as his lackey, pretending to be impressive in the company.

"All right!" Xiao Zhang decisively raised his arm and slammed a heavy slap at Zhao Bin's face.

Smack!!!